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IPv4 vs IPv6

Difference Between IPv4 vs IPv6

Internet protocol versions are IPv4 and IPv6. IPv4 was introduced in 1983 and is still popular in use as IP for several systems. It helps to identify the systems in a network using an address. The 32-bit address is used, which stores several addresses. Still, it is the primary internet protocol and controls the majority of internet traffic. IPv6 was developed in 1994 and is called as next generation. IPv6 has a 128-bit address space. IPv4 has periods as delimiters, whereas IPv6 has colons as delimiters. The configuration is needed in IPv4 to other systems, whereas IPv6 does not require configuration.

IPv4

IPv4 is one of the important core protocols of the standard internetworking methods that are being deployed on the internet. This is basically a connectionless protocol that is mainly used in packet-switched networks. It uses a 32-bit IPv4 version, and so the maximum number of IP addresses is 2 to the power 32. It is mainly formatted as four 8-bit fields. Find below a few important characteristics of IPv4:

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  1. It enhances its support towards video library files and conferences
  2. It is basically an implementation for the connectionless protocol
  3. It is used in the creation of virtual communication layers over different devices.

IPv6

IPv6 has become a draft standard in 1998 and was later established as an Internet Standard in 2017. It is mainly represented as eight groups of four hexadecimal digits, and colons separate each group. It also enhances and implements hierarchical address allocation methods, which increase the routing capabilities and the limit of the routing tables. Find below a few important characteristics of IPv6:

  1. It provides support towards storing an unlimited number of IP addresses and becomes a favorable choice for interactions between neighboring nodes.
  2. It provides extensive supports towards the state-full and state-less configurations.
  3. It enhances the Hierarchical addressing infrastructure.

Head To Head Comparison Between IPv4 and IPv6 (Infographics)

Below is the top 9 difference between IPv4 and IPv6:

IPv4 vs IPv6 Infographics

Key Differences Between IPv4 and IPv6

Both IPv4 vs IPv6 are popular choices in the market; let us discuss some of the major Difference Between IPv4 and IPv6:

  1. Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4) is basically the fourth version of the Internet Protocol (IP) and was initially published in 1981. Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) is the latest version of the Internet Protocol (IP), and it became a draft standard in 1998 and was later established as an Internet Standard in 2017.
  2. From the end-to-end connectivity perspective, IPv6 provides better results than IPv4.
  3. IPv4 is a 32 bit IP address, whereas IPv6 is a 128 bit IP address.
  4. IPv4 offers five classes of IP addresses (Class A to E), whereas IPv6 offers an unlimited number of IP addresses.
  5. IPv4 offers support to the Virtual Length Subnet Mask (VLSM), whereas there is no support provided for VLSM in the case of IPv6.
  6. IPv4 offers support to the SNMP protocol for system management, whereas there is no support provided for VLSM in the case of IPv6.
  7. IPv6 provides much better Multicast and Anycast abilities than IPv4.

IPv4 and IPv6 Comparison Table

Below is the topmost comparison between IPv4 and IPv6.

Basis of Comparison  IPv4 IPv6
Basic Performance Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4) is basically the fourth version of the Internet Protocol (IP) and was initially published in 1981. It is a 32 bit IP address. Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) is the latest version of the Internet Protocol (IP), and it became a draft standard in 1998 and later established as an Internet Standard in 2017. It is a 128 bit IP address.
Configure Performance In the case of IPv4, a whole new system needs to be configured and installed before communication with the other systems. In the case of IPv6, the basic configuration is optional, and the concerned performance entirely depends on the required functions.
Networking Performance In the case of IPv4, the basic networking structure needs to be manually configured or using DHCP. It also incorporates several layers to enhance networking performance which in turn also requires maintenance for the same. In the case of IPv6, the basic networking structure needs not to be manually configured as it supports the auto-configuration feature. That’s the way it also enhances the networking performance for the same.
Fragmentation Testing and Performance IPv4b uses normal sending and forwarding routes for the fragmentation processes. IPv6 uses the sending process only to implement and enhance the fragmentation process.
Mobility Performance It implements the basic constrained network topologies. This, in turn, is used to restrict mobility movements and interoperability for the same. In the case of IPv6, it provides the embedded interoperability and mobility capabilities for networking devices.
Security and Performance From the security and performance perspective, IPv4 is less preferred than IPv6.  It all depends on the applications, and there are no internal layers of security implemented for IPv4. In the case of IPv6, Internet Protocol Security (IPSec) is inbuilt, and thus it follows proper levels of secured architecture. Thus, it is more preferred than IPv4 from the security and performance perspective.
Support and Performance Upgradation IPv4 has large community support and extensive documentation libraries. IPv6 also has one of the largest community supports.
Routing Performance In the case of IPv4, there is a presence of routing protocol (RIP) which is supported by the routed daemon. Thus, from the routing performance perspective, IPv4 is more preferred than IPv6. In the case of IPv6, there is no specific routing protocol support (RIP), and thus it only uses static routes. Thus it is less preferred than IPv4.
Advanced feature performance In the case of IPv4, extensive uses of NAT (Network Address Translation) devices allow a single NAT address to mask thousands of address to enrich end to end integrity feature and performances. In the case of IPv6, there is larger space availability, and thus it allows direct addressing processes.

Conclusion

In this IPv4 vs IPv6 article, we have seen both IPv4 vs IPv6 are important in the networking and communication industries. After comparing IPv4 and IPv6 over a range of factors, it can be concluded that each one has its own pros and cons. So, before choosing any one of them, the basic features of both IPv4 vs IPv6 networking protocols should be properly learned and analyzed. Thus, based on the type of project need, time of work, and other discussed aspects, any of these two should be selected to reach the desired goal.

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